How do you show your love for your dog? |
Do you love your dog? This week I’ve been kindly given 3
double passes to the Sydney Dog Lover’s Show to giveaway (RRP $60 each). The
show runs from Sunday, August 6-7 and features a range of demonstrations,
displays and products.
I thought this was a good opportunity to talk about what
it means to love dogs. Professor John Webster, widely known as the “father of
the Five Freedoms” of animal welfare, has said that “what matters to animals is
not what we think, it’s what we do.” We can love animals all we want,
but if that good intention isn’t translated into behaviours which benefit
animals, it’s kind of meaningless.
All animals have welfare needs, including appropriate and
sufficient food and water, appropriate and comfortable shelter, prevention of
disease and rapid diagnosis and treatment when it occurs, ability to express
species-specific behaviours, ability to socialise with their own kind (or the ability NOT to, depending on the species and individual) and an
interest in avoiding fear and distress.
So, to score a double pass to the Sydney Dog Lover’s
Show, all you have to do is tell us one thing you DO to help meet your dog’s
welfare needs. You can head to the contact page and email, or hit us up on
Facebook. The three best entries by midnight on Sunday July 31 2016 night score a double
pass. Easy-peasy. Meantime if you want to find out more, visit the Sydney Dog
Lover’s Show website here.